Brendon McCullum calls for inclusion of TV umpires in controlling no balls

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has asked for the third umpire’s inclusion from now on in order to call out a no ball. The first test at the Basin Reserve was engulfed in a massive controversy as Australian batsman Adam Voges was castled by Doug Bracewell on the first day, but the umpire called it a no-ball. Voges was just on 7 then, and the replays clearly suggested that Bracewell had his heel behind the bowling crease.

Voges went on to score 239 and his innings pretty much decided the eventual outcome of the game. McCullum, post the game said that the TV umpires must be consulted in calling no balls, in order to increase the accuracy in the game. “Maybe that’s something that needs to be looked at, just to make sure you get the right decision all the time,” McCullum said. “I’m guessing it’s probably a bit easier as well for an umpire to look at the other end rather than having to look down and then look back up. But other people will make those decisions.”

“I haven’t brought it up with them,” McCullum said when quizzed about discussing with the match referee. “Richard Illingworth would be pretty disappointed with it, I’m guessing. It’s a bit of a shame but I’ve said all the way along that you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth in this game as well. Credit to Voges for making it count. “Everyone makes mistakes. Richard Illingworth is a fine umpire as I said about Nigel Llong in Adelaide and they’re allowed to make one mistake. It’s unfortunate for him that it probably had a bit of a bearing on the game. But we had our opportunities to rectify it and we didn’t do it. That no-ball call is certainly not what we’re focusing on,” McCullum concluded.

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